Mostly a links blog with occasional commentary on the linked articles (since 2010 mostly my book reviews) and infrequent personal updates.
I am a 62 year old married writer. See my website for my current writing projects and to download my ebooks; my Google about me page has links to my various web 2.0 venues.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Rogue

You are 74% Passionate, 40% Romantic, and 67% Experienced!

Stealing Kisses, Stealing Hearts

You've got the highest Passion score among the male kissing types, and you're definitely an experienced kisser. Your scores in Romance aren't as high, which suggests that you're more interested in the erotic and physical aspects of kissing than the emotional ones. You revel in the different textures, tastes and techniques of whoever you happen to be kissing at the moment, and you're a fantastic kisser yourself. You're creative, and like to mix up the makeout with unexpected, flirty moves. You're definitely a committed, passionate kisser.You just might not feel as passionate post-kiss. It's not that you can't get attached... it's just not the FIRST thing you do. And you do the first thing you do pretty freakin' well. Girls adore and fear guys like you. Guys want to be like you, but often they can't stomach the crying. We say keep on kissin', but try to find partners who can appreciate your skill without becoming too swept away. Tricky, we know. But if anyone can manage it, you can.

If you're looking for good-spirited makeout fun, we recommend your female counterpart, The Vixen. Good secondary smooch options include The Smooth Operator and The Flirt. Avoid The Traditionalist like the Plague. Just trust us.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Some of us have lost jobs, many of us have seen our retirement savings shrink, most of us are tightening our budgetary belts. For decades philanthropic support has enabled Jewishfilmmakers, writers, playwrights, scholars and performing artists to enrich our community's cultural life. To find out how the weakening economy is affecting artsfunding in the Jewish community I spoke to Foundation for Jewish Culture President and CEO Elise Bernhardt.

DC: How is the financial crisis affecting Jewish artists?

EB: Arts is the first thing to be hit, and that applies to Jewish arts as well, but artists are the most resourceful people. People have an even greater need for the arts during a crisis.

DC: Have you seen any change in the amount of funding you can offer arts projects?

EB: We expect a reduction in funding but it's too early to tell how much lower our funding will be.

DC: So far has FJC not had to tighten its budget?

EB: Our endowment has taken a hit so we're having to raise funds outside our endowment so as not to touch principle.

DC: If arts funding diminishes will audiences notice?

EB: There's a lag time between when we fund a project and when audiences see or hear it. We funded [Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominated Israeli film] "Waltzing With Bashir" two years ago. It's too soon to anticipate what we may or may not be able to fund later this year or next year, and those projects will only reach their audiences two or three years from now. I remain optimistic. We have a president who had a poet read at his inauguration and who values the arts. One funder said, "We can only fund arts that affect mental health." All art affects mental health.

DC: Do you see artists taking fewer risks in an economically precarious environment?

EB: I don't see artists shying away from controversy.

DC: Do you see artists making their work more accessible?

EB: Some artists may have to frame their work in a more public way.

* * *

Turning from the non-profit sector to the business end of show business an agent who represents Israeli performers said in an off-the-record conversation that a dirth of gigs has led many Israeli bands and individual musicians to leave the United States and return to Israel where they have more opportunities to perform.

Israeli date paste, Israeli chocolate spread, and/or poppy seed filling (all are available atPomogranate). Shoshana does not like to use most jams, because the have too much liquid and make a mess. She does like Levkar (prune butter), and apricot butter which now are available on grocery store shelves near jams and jellies, at least in Brooklyn.

About Me

My translation of Israeli poet Rachel Eshed's book Little Promises is
published in a bilingual edition by Mayapple Press. In its Hebrew
original, this collection of intense erotic poetry won the 1992 AKUM
prize in Israel. My translation of one of the poems in Little Promises
was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Novelist Tsipi Keller says , "It is
hard to speak of Rachel Eshed's poetry without mentioning 'fire': her
poems virtually burn on the page, and David Cooper's renditions not
only do justice to the the original but magnify its richness."

Download pdf files of my two poetry collections, Glued To The Sky and
JFK: Lines of Fire (PulpBits, 2003) on my website.

Between 2007 and 2009 I compiled an archive of oral histories of
Jewish-American marriages. These oral histories have been taken by my
co-author Beth Rosenberg and me,
and I hope someday a selection of
them will be published in a form yet to be determined as I Am My Beloved's,a collection of interviews and photographs of
Jewish-American couples that will explore the intersection of each couple's
identities as a couple and as Jews and will reflect the diversity of the
Jewish-American community.